


The Toppat King

by QueenofAngstandSin



Category: Henry Stickman (Video Games), Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Charles is Pan, Ellie is a lesbab, Galeforce is basically Charles's dad, Henry is Bi, Rapidly Promoted Executive Ending | RPE (Henry Stickmin), Reginal and Right are gay, Revenged Ending | R (Henry Stickmin), Terrence Suave is Henry's Father AU, Terrence might appear in flashbacks, This surprises no one, Toppat Clan Adopted Henry Stickmin, Toppat King Ending | TK (Henry Stickmin), Toppat Leader Henry Stickmin, With some Toppat King thrown in
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:07:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26775607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofAngstandSin/pseuds/QueenofAngstandSin
Summary: After Terrence was overthrown and his son disappeared, no one in the Toppat Clan thought they'd ever see Henry again. Until he shows up at the airship, overthrows Reginald and claims leadership for himself. Not even mentioning they now have a general and government pilot with them, as Henry refuses to let either die in a fiery crash after they hit the side of the airship.Oh boy. Something tells them Henry's leadership is going to be an interesting one.
Relationships: Reginald Copperbottom/Right Hand Man
Comments: 114
Kudos: 194





	1. A New Leader

"You arrogant, selfish _son of a bitch_!"

Confrontation between Terrence and Reginald was commonplace after a raid anymore. 

Reginald currently held his leader against the wall by the front of his coat, rage and hatred burning in his eyes. Terrence, meanwhile, just grinned at him. He wasn't scared of Reginald, he knew how to get under his skin and he knew that his right hand man wasn't ready to be a leader. It was probably the only thing keeping him alive at this point.

Usually, however, it wasn't physical like this.

"Reg-"

"Don't!" Reginald snapped, looking to Right. The taller man looked at him, brows furrowed and a frown on his face. "It's too far this time! Soldiers were _on the ship_ , Right! Do you have any idea how long it will take us to recover after this? We have _children_ here, they could have been killed!"

"We've been through worse!" Terrence provided, ignoring the way Reginald's eye twitched. "So we lost a few people! We're not running short on members anytime soon."

"I am _appalled_ that _that's_ how you think." Reginald snarled. "Whatever happened to being a family?"

"I have my own family." Terrence scoffed.

"The hell you do. You're barely a father to Henry! Right and I have been raising him all his life while you carry out harebrained schemes that get people captured and killed!"

"Daddy?"

_Speaking of who._

Reginald turned to see Henry. He wasn't sure when Henry had gotten here, how long he'd been here or when he'd push to the front to grip onto Right's leg like a lifeline. But he did know that the child was scared, and he shouldn't have to see this. He opened his mouth, probably to ask what was going on, but couldn't manage anymore sound. 

"Right, take Henry to his-"

"No, actually." Terrence spat. "You're going to overthrow me, right? Then do it right now."

Reginald froze, and his leader grinned.

"That's right, go ahead. Shoot me or throw me off the airship. Kill me in front of my own son. Better do it now, or I'll make sure you'll never have another chance."

"You're bluffing."

"Unlike you, I'm not scared of scaring a kid with some blood. The second you put me down I'll shoot you. Maybe in the throat, so you can die choking."

"Right."

Reginald looked to his Right Hand Man, who gave him a nod, pulling Henry close to hide his face from what was about to happen. "It's time, Reg."

He took a deep breath, throwing Terrence to the floor in front of him, eyes burning as he loaded his gun. Terrence suddenly looked very nervous. "Men and women of the Toppat Clan, is this man truly who we want as our leader? This man disregards the life of his clan, the life of his _family_ , launches reckless, pointless raids and puts all of our lives at risk. _No_ , not only our lives, now the lives of our _children!_ " Reginald couldn't help but think of Sven, who he had found shakily holding a gun, prepared to lay down his life for the younger kids. "Is this who we want as our leader?"

An enraged chorus of "No!" raised behind him, and for once Reginald didn't feel the nervousness of his upcoming leadership. It was as if the entire world couldn't touch him now, not when he had his fellow Toppats backing him.

"I say..." Reginald stared down at Terrence with pure, unadulterated hate. "...we throw him overboard!"

The chorus returned even stronger in agreement, and Reginald lowered the gun until it was aligned with Terrence's head.

"You're choice. Either walk the plank, or I shoot you and throw you overboard myself."

"You can't do this!"

"Actually," Reginald cocked the gun, smiling down at the now dethroned king. "It looks like I can. Goodbye, Terrence."

_**BANG** _

__________________________________________________

This had to be the most ironic thing Reginald had ever been through in all his years of leading.

Twenty years ago, in front of this very door on the airship, Reginald had overthrown Terrence Suave. Now his predecessor's son had him captive, threatening to take them both over to the ground below.

Gloved hands clawed at the gold chain threatening to snap his neck should Henry pull hard enough, or worse, choke him.

It'd been one hell of a shock when Henry had broken through the front window of the airship in a hamster ball, and another even bigger one when they realized he was working with the government.

The son of the previous leader, working with the government, to take down the people who raised him.

Reginald wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

Right had promised to handle it and catch up, but Right wasn't here right now. He had seen blood splattered against the shirt and jacket Henry wore before he grabbed him and at least hoped it was fast. Reginald couldn't bear the thought of Right suffering a long, drawn-out death. He didn't deserve that.

Another sharp tug and the sound of the door opening brought Reginald out of his thoughts and back to the present. "No, no, no, no, wait-" He choked out. He didn't want to be captured, not after all this. "You've defeated my Right Hand Man and then you've defeated me. I surrender the airship to you."

The pressure on his throat loosened as whispers spread through the collected crowd. Glancing behind him, he saw Henry's eyes suddenly gleaming with interest, and the government helicopter getting closer.

"Henry!" The pilot called. "Jump in! Oh no, looks like you're in trouble there. Here I come to save the day!"

"CHARLES NO-"

Reginald barely heard the General before the helicopter slammed into the side of the airship, an explosion blowing them away. Suddenly the tight grip was gone, and the Toppat dared to raise his head to see what was going on.

Henry leaned over the side, hand outstretched to the two government agents. _He can't seriously be thinking about-_

But he was.

With some grunting, Henry managed to pull the two up to safety, away from the burning vehicle that almost immediately after fell to the earth below.

"Charles Calvin, if you _ever_ do something like that-"

"Sorry, General, thought it'd go better! Henry-"

The pilot, Charles, glanced up as Henry stood, turning back to Reginald. There was confusion on his face, then a heartbreaking look of pure betrayal. "...Henry? Henry...you're...not actually considering what the Toppat said, right? You wouldn't turn your back on us?"

"Why not?" The general growled. "Once a thief always a thief it seems. How could we have expected any different?"

Henry glanced back at them, finally speaking, probably out of pure spite at this point.

"You _kidnapped_ me."

His voice was hoarse and weak from not using it, and it seemed almost like it was painful for Henry to say anything. Without another word to either of them, he stalked towards Reginald.

He took a step back, looking at Henry. This wasn't the child he and Right had raised like their own anymore, this wasn't Henry Suave, who was intelligent but also compassionate. This was Henry Stickmin, the new leader of the Toppat Clan.

And Reginald couldn't help but notice how much he looked like Terrence.


	2. Small Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right Hand Man wakes up, and he and Reginald start working on Henry's obvious trust issues.

Right groaned as he came out of unconsciousness.

He flexed his fingers a moment before opening his eye.

Wait. _Where was his other eye?_

Suddenly the Toppat sat up, realizing he was not longer fully human. At least half his face was now covered in metal, and throwing off his blanket, he saw that his right arm and both his legs were gone, replaced with metal augmentations. Flexing his new hand a bit, he took a breath to calm himself down.

First things first, where was he?

Glancing around, Right saw that he was in the medical wing, and that Reginald was sleeping not far away in a chair. At first he was relieved seeing the leader unharmed, but he quickly realized that wasn't entirely the case. His throat was bruised, his hair was messy and he looked like he hadn't slept in days.

Right knew the moment he looked at him that he'd been defeated. 

"...Reg?"

Reginald jolted awake at the sound of his voice, face immediately morphing into one of relief. He got to his feet, apparently trying to seem dignified as he walked over.

"W'at 'appened?" Right frowned as Reginald sat down in a closer chair.

"Henry caught me." Reginald sighed. "It was either give up leadership to him or be given to the government. Thankfully it seems at least some things haven't changed."

"Once a Toppat, always a Toppat." Right forced a laugh, but immediately knew that this was a bad situation. The last time they saw Henry was twenty years ago, when they killed Terrence. Henry had run away almost immediately after, and while they had searched for him there was no finding Henry when he decided to go missing.

Not to mention he and Right had actually fought. It was only Henry thinking to fight dirty and pulling a knife on him that he wasn't hurt. 

"'E didn't...'urt you...did 'e?" Right asked, grabbed Reginald's hand. Reginald shook his head.

"He had me by my necklace. The bruise is from the pressure. I don't think he was trying to hurt me, or it would have been easy from that position." The former leader explained. He took a deep breath, rubbing it before meeting Right's gaze. "That...that Henry. That's not our Henry anymore. I can barely recognize him anymore."

"Reg, it'll be fine." Right replied. "I'm sure 'e's just a bit s'aken up from everything- like those government scum sending _'im_ in to do _t'eir_ dirty work."

"Right, Reginald?" Sven's voice interrupted before Reginald could reply. "Henry is in his office. You should probably go show him the ropes. He's...acting skittish, for lack of better words."

Right groaned. So much for soothing Reginald's fears.

_________________________________________

In hindsight, Right wasn't sure what he expected.

At first when he saw Henry bent over a desk, muttering to himself with Terrence's old Top hat on his head, he thought he was seeing a ghost. Terrence could have never denied that Henry was his son.

"With Charles and the General this might be difficult." He was muttering in a hoarse, weak voice. Henry didn't use his voice much, but Right didn't think speaking should sound so painful. "I could probably drop them someone rural and lay low a few weeks, but that might piss off the Clan. But if I keep them with us the Government might come for them. Or at least for the General. Either way the Clan has to lay low and they're pissed that I saved two government officials instead of just letting-"

"Sir?" Sven spoke up.

Henry jolted, turning around, back to silence. Right rolled his eye, stepping forward. "'Enry, we ain't strangers, don't act lik-"

Suddenly the leader was on his feet, body tense. Both Right and Reginald froze, taking in his body language.

He looked like a cornered animal, every muscle tense and ready to either fight or flee. He glanced around for a possible exit before his eyes settled back on Right, Reginald and Sven, clearly untrusting. First Right felt nearly uncontrollable rage. What the _fuck_ did those assholes tell him to make him act like this?

Henry must have noticed, because he took a few steps back, eyes narrow.

Second, Right doubted his earlier statement of _"Once a Toppat, always a Toppat."_

Toppats didn't act like this. They were typically dignified, cool under pressure. If they needed an escape they looked for one without giving themselves away. They didn't stand tense, waiting for the enemy to make a move before they reacted. They either shot or they got the hell out of that situation.

Their Henry acted like a Toppat.

This Henry didn't.

Of course Right recognized this body language. It was pretty common, especially with criminals on the street. Typically it was criminals and thieves who ran into fights a lot and so needed to be ready for a scrap.

He saw it in desperate, afraid people. The Henry he knew was neither.

Right took a step back, seeing Henry relax a little. _Reginald is right. That's not our Henry anymore._

"Settle down." Reginald stepped forward this time, and Right noticed that Henry wasn't as tense. _He's reacting based on threat level. He knows if it comes to a fight, he couldn't do anything against me, but Reginald isn't going to be as physical if it comes to a confrontation._ He wasn't sure if he should be impressed that Henry was already taking mental notes or concerned because Henry obviously didn't trust his own high ranking crew. "Right isn't going to do anything."

"Do you see what I mean?" Sven sighed. "He can't seem to talk unless he's alone, he freaks if anyone approaches without a warning, he's acting like he doesn't know us."

Movement caught Right's attention, and he noticed that Henry was signing.

_"Don't talk about me like I'm not here."_

"Then don't stare at us like a deer caught in headlights!" Sven shot back. "Henry, stop acting like we're strangers! Do you really think Reginald, Right or anyone else would hurt you?"

Henry's expression went from being annoyed to being...unsure for a complete lack of better words. Sven's shoulder's slumped.

"You...you don't trust us?"

 _"The last time I saw any of you,"_ Henry signed slowly, seeming unsure of his word choice. _"Was twenty years ago. I was six and had just witnessed my father being overthrown as leader of the Toppat Clan and shot in the head."_ He took a breath before adding: _"I know now that Terrence was a terrible leader. But I didn't understand at the time and I didn't know what would happen to me. I still don't."_

"You're not Terrence." Right spoke up. "W'y would we 'arm you for his terrible decisions? Especially twenty years later."

 _"I just burst in through the window in a giant hamsterball, tried to run you over, proceeded to stab you and push you off a bridge when I got the opportunity and took Reginald hostage. That's all just from_ one day _. Why would you all_ not _want to kill me?"_ Henry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. _"Not to mention I was working with the government? Okay I was kinda taken hostage-"  
_

Right glanced at Reginald, mouthing a _"why did you not fucking tell me this?"_. Reginald shrugged in response, looking a little helpless.

 _"-but a Toppat would never betray the Clan in the first place. I betrayed the Clan the second I deserted it, and I did it again when I tried following through with the Government's plan. The only thing stopping me was the fact that even if they kept up their end and pardoned my crimes I don't have anything to go back to."_ Henry seemed to deflate a bit. _"No one would be stupid enough to hire a thief infamous enough for the Government to track down. The only jobs I could find were all as test subjects."_

Right could tell the gears were turning in Reginald's head, and Right was figuring it out too.

Henry wasn't wrong.

His goals here were completely centered on self-preservation. Fleeing as a child when he thought his life may be in danger(which could be excused, Right supposed, still didn't look good), likely defaulting on theft to survive, the only thing he would have known how to do(and likely continuing to do so into teenage and adult years when people saw a bratty little thief rather than a kid who didn't know how else to get by), taking the deal the Government offered him for a chance at a life even slightly more sustainable than what he had now. Even accepting Reginald's last-minute bargaining, leader of the Toppat Clan _was_ a safer, more stable life than anything else he could do with his reputation.

Toppats didn't act like that. They were actively disgusted by people who held their own lives as more important the the Clan's safety. It was one of many reasons why Terrence was overthrown- not caring about the Clan and prioritizing his own thrill over their safety.

The Clan already had every right to overthrow Henry. They had helped raise him, yes, but that meant his betrayal left a deeper wound than a stranger's.

Trust on both ends needed to be rebuilt, and it wasn't working with the way things were currently going.

"'Old on." Right suddenly spoke up. "I need a time frame. 'Ow long was I out?"

Henry sheepishly held up five fingers.

"Five 'ours?" That didn't seem right.

 _"Days."_ Henry signed.

_Ah, that makes more sense._

"'Ave you interacted at all with the crew outside w'at was necessary?" Right crossed his arms.

Henry looked even more sheepish.

"'ave you even ate?"

"I managed to make him eat when Reginald handed over leadership since he was skin and bones." Sven spoke up. "Otherwise he hasn't touched anything."

Right sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I swear to God- Sven, go get something _small_ for 'Enry, please. Just a sandwic' or something, because somet'ing tells me this _c'aotic dumbass_ 'asn't been eating nearly enough and 'e needs to start slow.

Reginald sighed, swinging an arm over Henry's shoulder and sitting him back down as Sven left. "Henry, you need to trust Right, Sven and I. The Clan is willing to give you a shot as long as one of us higher members doesn't decide you're not fit to lead. But that means you need to _work with us_ and stop being self-destructive." He looked up at Right. "Hey do we have anyone with a psychology degree or something? Henry's _definitely_ going to need a therapist."

 _"Excuse me, I am not a child-"_ Henry signed, face red.

"T'en I don't suppose you're ready to open up about w'at the 'ell 'appened before you got 'ere?" Right asked.

Henry didn't have a response for that.

"T'at's w'at I t'ought." Right sighed. "I don't t'ink we 'ave a therapist, t'ough. Could you at least try opening up to Reg first? You don't need to tell 'im anyt'ing major if you aren't comfortable yet. But we've got to start somew'ere."

Henry sighed, nodding.

Something told Right that this would not be the last conversation they had of this nature, but he supposed it was good enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I think I made it clear enough in the fic, but here's an explanation if not  
> After Terrence died, Henry grabbed a couple things and got the fuck outta dodge.  
> He was around six at the time, and didn't really understand anything that was going on. He did understand Terrence was dead, but he didn't know why Reginald killed him or why everyone was encouraging it. Which left the question open: "What's going to happen to me?"  
> Reginald and Terrence fighting was pretty commonplace, so Henry saw them argue a lot. But Reginald never got physical until the day he overthrew him. (The reason Reginald got physical that time is because Terrence's recklessness had resulted in soldiers getting on the airship. While the population of captured and killed members wasn't significant enough to really hurt the Clan that day, Terrence's complete disregard for them is what was the final straw, especially when there were kids there who could've been seriously hurt or killed in the fighting).  
> So Henry, being a scared kid, got off the airship and got the hell away from the Toppats first chance he got.  
> His adult life until he decides to break into the bank doesn't really matter much, but I will mention he's pretty used to going a long time without eating, which is why he doesn't seemed too bothered here. I promise he all but inhales that damn sandwich lmao.  
> Another note, Henry doesn't actually beat Right in a fight here. He pulls a knife on him, gets him close to the edge of the bridge and lets gravity take over after a little push. He didn't really want to hurt Right(or Reginald, for that matter, but once again self preservation), but that was the only way to get to Reginald and get out safely. Right would not have hesitated to lay his ass out if he tried that stunt while he was still able to fight.  
> He's also not a dumbass. Henry can be cocky and arrogant, for damn good reason may I add, he's an excellent thief to be hunted by the government, but he KNOWS the Toppat Clan in this AU. Betraying them to the Government, as a former Toppat, then turning around and betraying the Government the second something better for his own self preservation comes up isn't going to exactly impress them.
> 
> EDIT: my tired ass forgot right's accent at the end


	3. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reginald has a conversation with Henry.  
> The Toppats figure out a plan

Henry tried to ignore Reginald's presence as he worked out a possible plan for the Clan after the abrupt change in leadership.

First thing to deal with was Charles and the General. Okay so maybe saving them wasn't a great idea, but he couldn't just let them die, especially not like that. It was cruel and pointless. Death should be fast and painless if possible, that was one moral of the Toppats that stuck with him.

You don't make people suffer needlessly. Even the "ceremony" of dethroning a leader was typically falling to their death(or a shot to the head if necessary, usually only if the leader was being a direct threat and it couldn't be done traditionally. One thing Henry did remember about Terrence's death was his threat to shoot Reginald the second he had a chance), sure it was terrifying, but hitting the ground usually killed them instantly. Sometimes they even passed out before hitting the ground. It was generally fast and there wasn't much pain involved there.

Henry sighed, running a hand through his hair and pulling his turtleneck up a bit higher as a feeble attempt at comfort. At least Reginald wasn't trying to make conv-

"What happened to you?"

_Dammit._

Henry just glanced at Reginald with a shrug, feigning a _"I have no clue what you're talking about"_ look. He had a feeling it wasn't going to fool him, but he didn't know how to even start explaining anything. There wasn't really much to talk about, until he successfully stole the Tunisian Diamond he was just a petty thief going about his life. He'd gotten into a few scraps, been betrayed once or twice by fellow criminals and just...survived. Henry was nothing if not resilient.

"You know what I'm talking about." Reginald leaned back in his seat, looking over a floor plan of some kind. Henry did appreciate that Reginald was willing to help him with mapping and planning, at least. "You don't really act like a Toppat anymore."

"Out there," Henry managed to rasp out, refusing to look up at him. "That gets you killed."

"Is that what happened to your throat?" Reginald asked, eyeing him. "I saw the scar. You hid it well but nothing gets past me. I also notice that you're quite defensive. You've been in your fair share of fights, haven't you?"

Henry shrugged, falling back on signing. _"Would try to talk my way out of confrontation at first. Tried talking my way out of a fight after a bigger guy thought I was challenging him and he decided I talk too much. Went straight for the throat, I'm lucky my voice box was only damaged and not completely ruined. Prison doctor fixed me up but talking hurts."_

"Your selective mutism got better?" Reginald brightened a bit.

Henry shook his head. _"Had to force myself to talk, no matter how hard it is. Not many people understood sign language."_

Reginald frowned. "You shouldn't have had to do that."

_"I did what was necessary to survive."_

"You could have come _home_."

 _"Was it still home for me?"_ Henry frowned.

"Of course!" Reginald stood up abruptly, making Henry tense up again. "You were always welcome back here, Henry, you're a Toppat. How could we blame you for leaving when you were only a child at the time?" Realizing he had startled him, he sighed and sat back down, reaching for his hand. Henry jerked back, eyebrows furrowing with a frown on his face, and Reginal took a breath. "Henry, I _wish_ I had told you what was going on. I wish I'd taken better care of you after Terrence died, maybe then you wouldn't have felt the need to run. But I didn't and I paid for that dearly, and I _promise_ I'm not going to make that same mistake and leave you to handle this all on your own. Right and I are going to be right here to help you with all this."

Henry nodded, the smallest smile on his face.

"Now!" Reginald grinned. "I think we have a couple government workers to drop off and a heist to plan before we start laying low a while."

Henry nodded again with renewed vigor. If there was one thing he knew, it was how to pull off a good heist.

______________________________________

It'd probably been a little over two weeks since Henry had taken over the Toppat Clan

Reginald, Right and Sven's assistance had started to make him much more confident in his abilities as a leader, and while the Toppats were certainly hesitant at first, they certainly weren't complaining about anything. They were especially much happier once Charles and Galeforce were gagged and dropped off in a rural town and Henry had pulled off his first successful heist as leader of the Toppat Clan.

(Henry adding the Tunisian Diamond to their collection of treasures also certainly helped. Right and Reginald were quite surprised that he'd gotten his hands on it and gotten away.)

Of course they weren't happy about laying low until investigations died down. But the complaints stopped when they heard that Dmitri Petrov, warden of the Wall, was involved. If you were sent to the Wall, there was no coming back. 

You either died of illness or old age or you were killed through freezing, starvation or abuse. Not even the best Toppats could escape there, and that was considering they'd had spies there for years trying to save captive members. Henry had heard horror story after horror story, each worse than the last.

He would never want any of the Toppats under his command to end up there. It was a death sentence.

"It's not getting any better." Right sighed, sitting down across from him. "T'ey're getting too close, t'ey're gonna catch someone at this rate."

Henry shook his head, poking at his food a bit as he tried to figure out a way to keep the Clan safe. They _had_ been talking about just leaving the planet entirely, launching a base into space and only coming down for heists, but even with their resources it would take time to prepare.

"Stop picking at your food and eat." Reginald scolded, elbowing him. "If I find out you've gone more than twenty four hours without eating I swear I'll-"

"Okay, Mom." Henry laughed a bit. At least warming back up to his family hadn't taken long. They weren't as different as he thought they'd be: Right was still stern and hid his emotions and Reginald was still a damn mother hen who would kill for the Clan. "Is it possible to speed up preparations?"

"Yeah, but it'll be risky." Right frowned. "We could lose people."

"What if we recruited more members?" Sven asked. "The more people we have with us, the smoother and faster we can get off the planet."

"That's also risky." Reginald sighed. "We'd be putting our trust in complete strangers, and who's to say the government won't sneak in some spies?"

Henry tapped the table, before starting to sign. _"Speeding up preparations is risky because we might draw attention, right? What if we set something up to distract them while we finished?"_

The three stared at him.

"A...distraction? What, are you going to dance for them?" Sven asked, raising an eyebrow.

 _"We could have a small group or two hit spots away from the jungle then it'll be harder for the Government to realize that we're trying to leave."_ He continued. _"If the Clan agrees it's worth the risk, I'll lead a group them myself to cause problems until you give us the all clear."_

"No way!" Reginald stared at him. "Henry, you could be killed!"

"But w'at choice 'ave we, Reg?" Right sighed. "We're running out of places and ways to 'ide. 'Enry's smart enough to avoid capture, 'e managed to avoid us for twenty years."

 _"Trust me, Reginald."_ Henry grinned. _"It'll be a cold day in hell when they get their hands on me!"_

Reginald looked between the three and sighed. "Just...be careful. Please. I don't want to lose you again."

______________________________

"Are you sure about this, Charlie?"

"We have to do something, General, I'll be fine!" Charles smiled despite General Galeforce's concerned expression. "It's just a week, anyway. And there's no better time than now, the Toppats have been laying low a lot lately."

The Toppats have been hiding for two weeks now, and didn't look like they were going to be coming out any time soon, which meant they had an opening. Galeforce had been suspicious of The Wall for a couple months now. While Dmitri did a great job containing dangerous criminals, it wasn't all them. There had been more and more reports of mistreatment and cruel punishment for minor crimes.

So Charles was posing as a petty thief, by all means someone they shouldn't give a shit about. His job was simple, get "arrested", record how inmates were treated, grab some files and get the fuck out.

"If they get violent at any point-"

"I'll get out and call, I've got this." Charles promised cheerfully. "I can do it, I do sorta owe some field work for the helicopter."

He had been so lucky not to be discharged for that.

General Galeforce sighed, leaning back into his chair.

"Just...be careful. Please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah Charles got in a lot of trouble for his rescue attempt. He was basically grounded for a week before being put in field work.  
> Henry's warming back up to the Clan, thankfully. It's not taking nearly as long as Reginald thought it was going to take, but he's not really talking to anyone else, even if he is being out and among the others more.


	4. (I'll Never Say it but) I Loved You Like a Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reginald reflects a little on his own feelings.  
> A patrol goes horribly wrong.

Reginald would never admit that he was bothered with his new position as Henry's second in command.

The former leader admittedly had a loud, dramatic personality that demanded attention. He hated being second place, and he hated the feeling that came from it. As leader he felt unstoppable. Anything was possible, no one could touch him when he had the Toppats behind him!

But he didn't feel that way now.

Reginald still remembered what it had felt like being Terrence's right hand. The constant worry of being deemed not good enough and replaced, watching as Terrence got his family and friends injured and killed for the thrill of it, even while he raised Henry alongside Right there was always the fear and knowledge that one day Terrence would either replace him with Henry or deem his own son as a threat to his leadership.

Henry was not Terrence, Reginald knew this. But it didn't prevent the return of those old emotions, it didn't stop him from being afraid that he'd be unceremoniously replaced or he'd watch tragedy after tragedy until he finally overthrew him and reclaimed the position for himself.

Reginald, however, knew better than to voice any of this.

 _Besides,_ he thought as he smiled at Henry as he returned with his patrol. Typically he had Thomas Chestershire, Geoffrey Plumb, and Sven with him, though a couple times he'd go alone or with only one other person if he thought it was more dangerous. _He's a lot better than Terrence. The only thing these two have in common is their appearance._

There was a lot more emotion with Henry's leadership on Reginald's end. Mostly it was concern, but more and more often there was pride. A sense of _"Look at my son go!"_ that Reginald didn't quite understand.

"Reginald." He shot a glare at Right as he nudged him, a smirk on the cyborg's face. "You're making the Dad face again."

"Will you stop calling it that?" Reginald hissed back. "I'm not giving any sort of parental look to Henry."

"Sure."

Another thing Reginald would never admit was the fatherly role he had taken all those years ago. He'd rather jump from the cargo bay with clothes made from a cactus than even humor the thought that he saw Henry as anything more than another member of the Toppat Clan.

"How'd it go?" Reginald asked, approaching him.

 _"Good, I think they're finally considering giving up."_ Henry signed. _"Apparently the Government's giving them hell, I'll take a small group to make sure they're distracting them well enough for me to start helping with preparations."_

"You're going to overwork yourself." He warned. "You need to relax a bit."

_"And I'll have all the time in the world to relax when we're in space."_

"You're going to be the death of me."

Henry laughed a bit in response.

"That wasn't a joke." He sighed.

_____________________________

The moon just barely peeked over the treetops as Henry landed, his small patrol in tow.

"Remember," Sven translated as Henry signed. "No trouble, we're only checking it out and making sure it's safe for us to return to preperations."

"Got it, boss." Geoffery nodded. "No trouble!"

Henry gave them a serious look before setting out into the snowy forest.

They only made it about 30 feet before Henry was suddenly slammed to the ground by someone running into him.

He grunted a bit, dusting himself off as Sven pulled out his gun, barely able to raise his hand to prevent his group from getting pissed and shooting. Sighing, the Toppat leader got to his feet, extending his hand to help the other person up when he realized-

It was Charles.

The two stared at each other a moment before shouting broke them out of their trances, and Charles grabbed his hand, scrambling to his feet. He was holding a file, papers threatening to spill out onto the snow. "Help me out of here!"

"Why should we?" Sven snapped, cocking his gun. "Government scum, you'll betray us the second we turn our backs!"

"We're working for the same goal this time." He said hurriedly. "You hate the Wall, right? We're trying to take them down. Please, I promise it'll be worth your while!"

Henry thought for a moment, not sure if all five could fit in the pod, but all it took was seeing Dmitri and his men for him to grab the pilot and start running.

Guns started firing as the group ran the way they came. Henry shoved Charles ahead of him, seeing their pod nearby.

They were almost there!

Then it went to hell.

Suddenly Sven screamed, Henry stopped, watching the blonde hit the ground, a bullet lodged in his back.

Another shot, Charles hit the ground next, blood flowing from his calf.

_No!_

"Grab them!" Henry forced out, pulling out his own weapon. "Get back to the airship!"

"Henry-"

"GO!"

He watched Geoffery grab Sven, and Thomas go for Charles before turning and returning fire. The pod was only meant to fit four people, and he knew that, but at least his Clan members and Charles would be safe.

If it meant Henry staying behind for it to be that way, so be it. Henry didn't fear Dmitri and his goons.

One of the guards went down like a sack of rocks, screaming about his knee. Another shot and a second fell, a hole between his eyes.

Another bullet sailed past him, and he heard Geoffery telling Sven they needed to go.

"But Henry and-"

"We'll come back, we gotta go or else we're not escapin'!"

 _Thomas! Did he get away? What about Charles?_ Henry turned, blood going cold when he saw that Thomas was on the ground, clutching his leg and Charles was trembling over him, eyes wide.

"Drop gun and get on knees, now."

Dmitiri.

Henry's hands shook as he felt the barrel of the gun resting against his temple, but he didn't dare drop his weapon.

There was a gunshot, Charles screamed again, holding his shoulder.

"Next one goes in his head unless you comply." The warden hissed.

Henry met Charles's eyes, which were glazed with pain.

He dropped the gun and fell to his knees, letting his head fall, defeated.

_I'm sorry, Reginald. I failed the Toppats._

_____________________________

Reginald sighed, going over some basic paperwork. He wanted to get it done before Henry returned so he could get at least some rest before they went back to the jungle.

"Reginald."

"Ah, Geoffery!" Reginald didn't look up, but a small smile graced his face. "How'd it go? Did Henry already go to bed? I certainly hope so, he needs the rest."

"Well, actually..."

"Reg."

Reginald finally looked up, noticing Right standing next to Geoffery.

Then he saw it: the Toppat was covered in blood.

_No._

His hands, the front of his shirt, his pants his shoes, God could someone survive losing so much blood?

"Who's blood is that?" It was more of a statement or a demand for an answer than a question. "Where's the others? What happened?"

"Sir, I-"

Reginald gripped the front of Geoffery's shirt- _when did he get up, when did he approach him?_ "Geoffery-"

" _Reg_." Right pulled him back, grip on his shoulders. "T'ey ran into that pilot, 'e was being chased by Dmitri's men. T'ey started firing when t'ey saw t'em."

_No. Please._

_A young smile, full of energy. Blonde, almost golden, hair that rivaled the golden necklace around Reginald's neck and deep, deep, sapphire blue eyes._

"Sven was shot in the back, sir." Geoffery began. "He's lost a lot of blood, but he'll survive. It doesn't appear like his spine was damaged."

_A patient expression, a soft hand on his shoulder and dark eyes behind two monocles. A reassuring voice that he'd be the greatest leader the Toppats have ever seen._

"Thomas tried to help the pilot into the pod, but they got him in the leg and he went down. They were getting too close for me to go back." He continued mournfully.

_A confident, goofy grin. Sweet blue eyes that shone with mischief whenever he laid them on a gem or gold._

_No. God, please. **No**._

"Henry told us to run. He tried to hold them off, shot one in the knee and the other in the head."

_A small hand gripping his, a quiet voice telling him that Terrence was wrong, and that he wasn't weak or cowardly._

"Where is he?" Reginald managed, voice weak. Geoffery looked a bit surprised he even asked, but his expression was soft, sympathetic.

"He didn't make it. I'm sorry, Dmitri caught him, Thomas and Charles."

_"S'all right, Daddy."_

Reginald fell to his knees, a raw, grief-filled scream ripping from his throat.

_"I think you and Pa are pretty great."_

He barely noticed Right's arms wrapping around him, or the fact that his hat must have fallen off, as Right buried his face in his hair, whispering quiet reassurances to him.

Henry, his _son_ , was _gone_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I feel the need to bring up here.  
> Remember how Reginald mentioned he and Right raised Henry?  
> Yeah, they raised Sven, too.  
> Normally Henry wouldn't have stopped, that's why Dmitri and his men caught up to him. In this case he would have been forced to leave anyone else, because he'd have to decide if the risk of being caught was worth the chance of saving him. (With the Wall, the answer is always "No." Toppats are smart enough to figure out how to escape most places, but the Wall's reputation means it isn't worth it to go back.)  
> So basically  
> Henry sacrificed his freedome for Sven's.


	5. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Toppats and Charles are left in a holding cell...and immediately escape with a new friend.  
> What?  
> Did you expect anything less from Henry?

Charles kept his eyes on the ground as he and the Toppats were escorted to their holding cell.

Henry and the other fellow, Thomas, hadn't said anything more after their capture. Charles had tried to apologize to Henry for getting him into this, but he said nothing. There had been silence a few moments before Thomas had said: "Selective mute. He usually signs, not that I understand it. Been meanin' to learn, though."

A quick threat against Henry's life had silenced him, however, and they had finished the trip in silence. Charles could tell how much Dmitri wanted to kill Henry, to be the one to say _"I defeated the Toppat king!"_ , but he couldn't just kill him. He was already on thin ice from the way he ran his prison.

"In ya go. We'll be separating you into different cells soon." Grigori grunted, shoving Charles in. He yelped a bit at the roughness, almost falling before be managed to catch himself. The pilot glared after the guard as he locked the cell and walked away, shouting something in Russian. He glanced at the other person in the room, a red-haired woman with emerald green eyes. She glanced up at them almost curiously, but didn't say anything.

"So, the Toppat Clan. Why?" Charles looked at Thomas, who blinked in surprise.

"Got framed for something I didn't do." He sighed. "I was cellmates with a Toppat, he helped me get out and offered to put in a good word for me. Who was I to turn down a roof over my head and dinner every night?"

"Do you regret it?" Charles frowned.

"Not for a second. We're family there, and my life wouldn't be the same without them." Thomas smiled. "It may not seem it, but we all love each other."

That was surprisingly simple, and Charles could understand that. He couldn't imagine how his life would have ended up if he didn't join the military. "What about Henry? I mean, it hasn't been that long but you guys seemed pretty familiar with him."

"Henry was born into the Clan." Thomas explained. "His father was the leader before Reginald, Terrence Suave. Terrence was a horrible leader, launched raids and heists for the thrill, got people captured, injured and killed and just didn't care about the Clan. Right and Reginald actually took to raising Henry, even more so after his Mother disappeared after a raid. We ended up overthrowing him after soldiers got onto the airship, usually we'd throw leaders like that overboard but..." He sighed. "Well, he was threatening to shoot Reginald in the throat, so that wasn't an option. Well, Henry was just six at the time, and he ended up seeing. Ran away not long after that."

Charles looked over at Henry, who was preoccupied investigating every centimeter of the cell. If he was listening to them talk, he wasn't showing it. "Why do you think he rejoined?"

"Self-preservation, most likely." The Toppat replied. "Why else? It certainly doesn't seem like he had much else if he actually went through with capturing Reginald. I heard you said you were going to pardon him, but if he was famous enough for you to hunt down, who's to say anyone would actually hire him after that?" He paused. "Also, Right is the scariest man alive and Reginald is his husband. That's a death wish right there, no matter who you are."

"I hate that you're right." Charles muttered. "Henry didn't seem have anything else. He was barely getting by by the looks of it. I felt bad for him, even if he _is_ a criminal. No one should have to worry about if they'll be able to have another meal or if they'll have a roof over their head by the time the week ends."

"So we can agree on some things." Thomas laughed a bit. Henry cleared his throat, gesturing up to the vent. "Oh, got an idea, Henry?"

He nodded, glancing at their other cellmate. "Hm?"

She looked at him, brows furrowing. "What?"

"Are you coming?" Thomas asked, walking over to prop Henry up and watching as he wiggled up into the vent. "You might not get another chance."

"I don't have anything else to lose." She shrugged. "The name's Ellie."

"Thomas. That's Henry and, uh..." Thomas looked at Charles.

"Charles Calvin." He gave her a nod. "I was supposed to break in and get evidence so the government can shut this place down for good, but I was caught."

"Government working with Toppats!" Thomas laughed as a ladder descended, Henry peering over the hole at them before disappearing again. "Never thought I'd see the day. I'm not complaining, though. I'll take friends where I can find them."

Charles was the last to climb up, seeing the others freeing themselves by banging the cuffs off a convenient rock.

"Where to next?" Ellie asked as Charles got his cuffs off.

"If we could find a communications room I could call the general." Charles offered.

Thomas and Henry gave him unamused looks.

"Ah, right. Toppats. You could call them...?"

"It'd be too dangerous." Thomas shook his head. Henry tugged on his sleeve, whispering something in his ear. "Oh, that might work."

"What'd he say?"

"He said if we can steal a phone we can try to sneak out and call them once we're a safe distance away." Thomas replied. "They may not be happy to have Charles back on the ship, but maybe we can work something out with the General."

"Like what?" Charles tilted his head.

"Helping you take down the Wall if you leave us alone?" Thomas suggested. "You can't currently pin us to any crimes, anyway. Why not work with us for once?"

"Not sure General Galeforce will agree, but it's worth a shot." Charles smiled as Henry lead the way through the vent. "You know, maybe this won't be so bad!"

__________________________________

Ellie wasn't sure what to think.

She'd heard of the Toppat Clan once or twice, she knew they were some kind of criminal organization. But she didn't know much.

Oh well, she wasn't going to skip out on a chance to escape, and potential protection. She was curious on why they were helping her, though. Maybe they expected her to join them? She guessed it didn't really matter.

What mattered now was getting out.

"What now?" Ellie asked, frowning.

"I saw a truck on our way in. If we can sneak out three of us can hide in the back while the other drives away." Charles pipped up. 

"How do we get out there?" Thomas asked.

"What if we started a riot? The guards would be distracted." Ellie offered.

Henry nodded, giving her a thumbs up, before sliding open a vent above them and poking his head out. He gestured Ellie forward, slipping out and creeping near one of the guards. Ellie met his eyes with a nod, and nearly simultaneously the two lunged forward, wrapping an arm around each guard's throat and covering their mouth. "We only have a few minutes to get through before they wake up."

Henry nodded as Charles and Thomas climbed out of the vent. Ellie counted her lucky stars as they headed down the hall, somehow completely unnoticed. Walking up to the glass of the small room in front of them, she peered inside. "If you can get up there, you could drop in and open the door."

"I can do it." Charles offered. "I want to help."

Henry shook his head, pointing to the leg the pilot was limping on. He didn't say or sign anything but the answer was clear: No, not with his leg injured.

"We'll get our chances, Charles." Thomas promised. "But Ellie and Henry aren't wounded. It's best if they do most of the heavy work for now."

He deflated a little bit, and Henry laughed, patting his head before looking at Ellie.

"I don't do this a lot but," she raised her hand. "This is a special circumstance."

The redhead ignored the bewildered stares from Charles and Thomas as she lifted Henry by his throat, without even touching him. Within a few moments he had disappeared over the edge of the wall and was dropping down into the room.

Ellie had no idea what the fuck he ended up doing in there, but the second that door opened, sirens sounded and the doors of the nearby cells opened, too.

The group looked at each other before ducking into a side hallway.

Riot successfully started, time to go!

__________________________________

Thomas leaned against a tree, looking out over the water as the group of four waited for the Toppats to arrive.

They had managed to steal a truck before nearly being run off the road and being forced to flee into the cliffs. Thankfully Thomas had grabbed the phone of one of the guards Ellie and Henry knocked out and called Reginald and Right to come find them.

Needless to say they were more than a little surprised that they'd managed to not only get out, but also start a riot and pick up a new friend, all within two hours.

(Well, Reginald was more than just surprised. Thomas swore that he heard their second in command crying in relief, but it certainly wasn't his place to comment on that.)

He lifted his head as he heard the familiar noise of the airship nearby, watching as a rope ladder was tossed down. He smiled, getting to his feet and extending his hand to Charles. "After you."

The pilot hesitated, looking nervous.

"Don't worry, swear on my honor we won't harm you." He put an arm around his shoulder. "You need your leg and shoulder checked out, I'll be right behind you."

"Promise?" Charles asked, stepping up with a wince.

"Promise." Thomas nodded. "Up you go!"

First Charles started climbing up, Thomas following closely after. Glancing down he saw Henry nudge Ellie up, starting to climb up last.

"There they are!" A shout broke the victorious air around the escapees, a guard pointing to them. "Don't let them get away!"

"Start pulling them up!" Thomas heard Reginald order. "If a single one is dropped, I swear, I will-"

He didn't hear the rest of the threat, yelping and grabbing onto his top hat as a bullet sailed past his head, hitting the rim of his hat. He saw someone pull Charles up to safety before reaching back down for him.

Thomas blessed the stars for the fact that it was harder to hit a target who was suspended in midair and moving. He grunted as he was pulled up next, reaching down to help Ellie up before reaching for Henry.

There was another gunshot, and time seemed to stop.

Henry's eyes widened as the bullet tore through his back, hitting the airship after ripping free of his chest. For a heartbeat there seemed to be no movement before Thomas realized Henry was falling back.

" _ **NO!**_ " Desperately the Toppat lunged forward, only stopped from falling by Ellie grabbing him. Helplessly he watched as Henry fell to the jagged rocks and freezing water at the bottom of the cliff, frozen as the airship pulled away before the guards could hit anyone else.

He glanced back up at the cliff, seeing Dmitri with his arm extended, barrel of his gun still smoking and a semi-satisfied look on his face.

It took a few minutes for the absolute irony of the situation to hit him.

Henry Stickmin, leader of the Toppat Clan, had just survived escaping an absolute death trap of a prison, where no one left unless they were dead.

And now he was gone once again.

Numbly, Thomas got to his feet, realizing Reginald was on his knees next to him, staring blankly at where Henry had fallen. Taking a deep breath, he helped his leader up, wrapping an arm around his shoulders comfortingly.

Neither Toppat said anything, but they didn't really need to.

All they needed was a few minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did any of you honestly think that Henry wasn't going to escape literally the second Grigori walked away?  
> Honestly I wasn't sure how I wanted to handle this one! I didn't want Henry to immediately escape at first. The last chapter was meant to be emotional and heart-wrenching at the end and it didn't feel right to immediately go back on it. It felt like it wasn't genuine.  
> Originally at the first break, it was going to go to Reginald and Right, and we'd see how they were handling it: Reginald absorbing himself in work to keep a strong façade for the Clan, and Right forcing himself to be strong for Reginald and the Clan. But doing that felt like I was dragging out the escape and I honestly hate when events like this drag on a long time. Especially here when escape is extremely time-sensitive. It needs to happen quickly or it isn't going to happen at all. The second Dmitri learns they're out of their cell that window starts to close, so I ended up deciding it needed to happen in one chapter.  
> Don't worry, this isn't the last we'll see of The Wall or Dmitri!  
> I also feel like an ass for letting them get out only for them to immediately lose Henry again. I knew that this was definitely what I wanted to do in some way: Originally only Henry was supposed to be the only one captured alongside Charles, then he'd call the Toppats and Reginald would lose his grip and drop him by mistake after a joking comment about how easy it'd be to drop him. After that Henry, thinking Reginald had betrayed him, would seek Revenge. But I ended up deciding not to go that route: it felt uncharacteristic for Reginald's earlier reaction to losing Henry and I think Henry would be able to tell the difference between a genuine accident and purposeful betrayal. I also realized there was no way that three out of five characters would escape mostly unharmed, especially with how Dmitri is.  
> Also, I want to note that Right was actually inside, which is why he didn't react to Henry falling. He didn't particularly trust the Clan not to immediately turn on Charles so escorted him to the medical wing himself.  
> While it wasn't mentioned, Thomas is very close with Henry and Reginald. Typically if Reginald or Right weren't available to take care of Henry, the job went to Thomas since he didn't do much "field work" and mostly stayed on the ship helping where he could.


	6. Friends in Cold Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Russian Doctor finds Henry in her fishing net and decides to patch him up.

Dr. Vinschpinsilstien stared blankly for a moment at what she'd caught in her net.

"Once." She sighed, kneeling by the net and cutting it open so she could pull out the motionless body. "Just once, would like to catch _only_ fish."

Being so close to The Wall, catching a corpse or two wasn't uncommon. They had the bad habit of just dumping their bodies and trash into the ocean, making it harder for the scientist to catch _only_ her next meal, which was the entire reason she'd decided she should move away from that area of the cliff.

This, however, she noted as she pressed two fingers to the body's neck, was not a corpse. He was still breathing, just barely, and she could feel a weak pulse beneath her fingers. Corpses didn't have pulses, and they certainly didn't breathe.

She glanced to the top hat and gold chain alongside him, somehow not lost to the ocean. It'd gotten tangled in the net with him and told her all she needed to know: Toppat. The leader, in fact, by the look of it. She'd heard that Reginald had handed over leadership in return for mercy, however, she didn't think it'd be someone she recognized.

"Never thought I'd see the day you returned to the Toppat Clan, Suave." Dr. Vinschpinsilstien stood up, lifting the Toppat in her arms. "Last I heard you ran after your father died, what happened to you?"

The only response was a moan of pain, but he didn't wake up as she carried him inside and laid him on a bed. His left arm was obviously and likely irreparably broken, twisted at more than one odd angle. Even then she could see frostbite was already setting in and likely was going to take it if she didn't. She began examination, experimentally testing reflexes and rolling him over to check his injured back.

She didn't need an x-ray to know his spine had been broken in more than one place, likely from the bullet hole she found as well as the fact it looked like he'd fallen into the sharp, jagged rocks that lined the cliffs. If he had any hope of recovery, or even survival at this rate, it'd need to be completely removed and replaced.

She suddenly stopped.

Why was she even _considering_ any of this? She had told herself she would never help the Toppats again after she left. She had already refused to assist them once, when they called asking her to come save Right, and she really didn't want to give them the satisfaction of giving in at any point. Hell, she only knew Henry because he was Terrence's son and with how much trouble he'd gotten into, even as a child, it was hard _not_ to know him.

She could, and honestly should, just toss him back in the water. He was already half-dead, and she owed him and the Toppats nothing.

Her fingers nervously tapped the table at that thought. She could do it, yes, but would she? Hell no. It felt...cruel to leave him to drown or freeze to death. It wasn't her place to decide who got to die based on her emotions. Did she hate the Toppat Clan? Yes. But was it right to leave someone to die because of her own experiences with them? Certainly not!

Briefly she wondered why he was even _in_ the water. Was it a denouncement ceremony? It didn't look that way, if she was honest. The gold chain and his hat would have been taken if it was, but no one seemed to be looking for him.

 _Then again if he fell into the rocks, why would they?_ She wondered briefly, looking at him. He was obviously quite weak, struggling to even take a single, faint breath. It was nothing short of a miracle that he was still alive at this point. She knew his lungs had to have water in them, which on its own could be fatal. _They probably assumed him to be dead._

She briefly wondered how Right and Reginald were holding up. She knew they loved Henry as their own son, losing him all those years ago, getting him back and then immediately losing him again must be tearing them apart. She didn't really want to, but she could imagine the heart-wrenching scream of Reginald, and the blank but grief-filled stare of Right as they had lost him for a second time.

Her hand balled into a fist.

She was so weak.

Finally she made a decision. She'd stabilize him for now, then call Reginald and Right to come get him. Maybe she'd perform the surgery to replace his arm and spine, if they paid her for it.

 _Time to get to work._ She sighed.

Stabilizing Henry had been harder than Dr. Vinschpinsilstien thought it would be.

Even unconscious and injured as he was, he had fought like hell when she put a tube down his throat to drain the water from his lungs. It had been pitiful, honestly. Dr. Vinschpinsilstien certainly didn't pride herself on her bedside manner, but she couldn't help but gently try to reassure him that it was alright, and it would be over soon.

Sighing heavily, she sat in her chair before sending a call through to the Toppat Clan's airship division. Straightening up, she took a deep breath as the call was accepted, and Right responded.

"What? We're a little busy at-"

"Hello, Right."

"Ah, Doctor. 'Ave you reconsidered our offer to rejoin the Toppats?" He asked. She could almost hear the strained smile in his voice, and she quickly strangled the feeling of pity. She'd let herself feel _sympathy_ for her patient, but the Toppat Clan would get no pity from her.

"Oh I'll join you alright, I'll join you in hell." She replied, teeth clenched. "But that's not why I'm calling. It seems you lost your leader."

There was silence for a moment.

"Did you...find the body?" He finally asked quietly.

"Oh I found a body, just not a dead one." She replied. "From here, you have three choices. I've stabilized him for now, you can come get him and deal with his injuries yourself, or you can commission me to perform surgery. If you do neither, I can always hand him over to the government."

"W'at kind of surgery?" Right asked a bit skeptically.

"His arm is broken in a few places and he's suffering from frostbite." She replied. "His spine is also broken in multiple places. Both will need completely replaced, likely along with his heart, as he's too frail to perform surgery on while still alive."

There was silence again, and she heard him take a trembling breath. "W'at do you want in return for saving 'im?"

"I won't ask for much this time." She replied. "I want appropriate compensation, for one. I'll go with the low end of one hundred, fifty thousand for both the spine and arm, and my time. These augmentations are not cheap to make or install. And I would rather like the dinner I lost from catching _him_ in my net to be replaced."

"T'at's all?"

"That's all." She confirmed. "I suggest you make a decision quickly. Henry is very frail, I cannot hold him for long."

"Done, we'll bring the payment as soon as we can." He took a breath. "...may we see 'im?"

"If you wish. But you need to find your own way here." She didn't particularly want either of them on her boat, but there was no way she could safely move Henry to the airship, and she wasn't sure if she'd even be able to revive him. Replacing his entire spine was experimental, even by her standards.

If she failed, this may very well be the last time they see their son alive. Who was she to deny them of that?

Dr. Vinschpinsilstien sighed, crossing her arms as she stared up at the airship.

Honestly she wasn't sure what she was expecting when Right asked if he and Reginald could see Henry. _I suppose arriving in the airship and dropping down is better than trying to pick up the boat and bring it inside the airship._ She thought, a little bitterly, as she watched Reginald, Right and a few others climb down a rope ladder. She raised an eyebrow upon noticing one of them was a government pilot. "Toppats working with the government? Is the world ending?"

"It's only temporary." Right grumbled. "We don't particularly want 'im 'ere."

The other person, a woman with fiery red hair, glared at him. "I _did_. We both owe Henry. You admitted he might not survive this, we needed a chance to thank him, even if he's not awake."

"I'm sorry," Dr. Vinschpinsilstien sighed. "Who are you two?"

"Charles Calvin and Ellie Rose." The pilot replied. "General Galeforce sent me on a mission to retrieve files so we can shut down the Wall. He thought that since the Toppat Clan were lying low we could at least take them out and lighten our workload. Ellie was a prisoner, she came with us."

"Henry broke us out." Ellie nodded. "We just...need to see him, just once."

It took a few moments for what she just said to sink in. "He...broke you out of the Wall?" She asked slowly.

Both nodded.

"I'm going to want that story later." She turned away. "Come with me, I'll take you to my workroom, that's where I'm keeping him."

Leading them to the small room, Dr. Vinschpinsilstien blinked in surprise seeing that he was actually awake now. Immediately Reginald pushed past her, running to his son's side. "Henry!"

"Reg...inald...?" Henry breathed, meeting his eyes.

“I’m right here.” Reginald squeezed Henry’s hand. “I-I’m right here. I...I’m not going to leave you.”

"E...everything...hurts..." He squeezed back weakly, blinking as Right came up next to him. "Right...I..."

"You don't 'ave to say anything."

Henry shook his head. "I...I'm...sorry. I...hurt you. I..."

"I know." Right replied, voice uncharacteristically quiet. "It's alright, I'm not angry."

"Henry." Reginald's voice broke. "Please, hold on a while longer. The doctor is doing to fix you, I promise. You'll...you'll be alright."

“...promise…?”

"I...I promise."

Dr. Vinschpinsilstien's breath caught in her throat as she got a good look at Henry's face. His eyes were half-closed, dull with hopelessness and clouded with pain. He was struggling to stay awake, to even stay conscious.

Charles tapped her shoulder. "Doctor...is he going to survive this?"

She shook her head. "No, but I need to completely replace his spine, and I can't do it while he's alive, anyway."

"But you can bring him back?"

She nodded.

"...'m tired." Henry murmured.

Reginald covered his mouth to hide a sob. "I...I know, Hen."

“...it’s so cold...so dark…” He breathed. “D...Dad...I...I don’t...I don't want to die...not like this...”

That was all it took for Reginald to break down into sobs, hunching over his son. Right held him tighter, reaching to join his husband in holding Henry's hand. “You’re not going to die!" Reginald finally choked out. "I’m not going to let you die, I _refuse_ to let you go like this!”

There was no response.

"...'Enry...?" Right asked, eyes clouding with grief.

Silence. Henry's eyes stared sightlessly up at the ceiling, no breath leaving his lips.

Reginald screamed. "HENRY!"

"That's your cue to leave." Dr. Vinschpinsilstien cut in, pulling Reginald away. "Go wait outside so I can work."

"T'ank you, Doctor." Right spoke up, leading his husband out. "I trust you with the rest."

______________________________

It'd been a few hours since Dr. Vinschpinsilstien had begun surgery.

Right sat against a wall, Reginald sleeping against his chest. He'd only left once to help her remove Henry's left arm, but he hadn't lingered long.

Seeing Henry hooked up to life support, so unnaturally still and pale, was too much, even for him.

(He'd briefly wondered where she'd gotten a ventilator, but it was keeping oxygen flowing to his brain and preventing brain death so he wouldn't complain.)

Right glanced over at Charles and Ellie, the two in a corner leaning against each other. They, too, had fallen asleep, it'd been an exhausting day for them and he didn't blame them for wanting some rest. He himself only remained awake so he could recieve the news as soon as Dr. Vinschpinsilstien was finished.

Suddenly there was the sound of someone clearing their throat. Right looked up, seeing the good doctor peeling off her gloves.

"'Ow is 'e?"

"Alive. But he's very weak." She replied with a frown. "I hope you know it is unwise for him to return to the Toppat Clan."

Right stared at her blankly a moment. "I...I'm sorry, w'at?"

"It is unwise for him to return to the Clan." She repeated. "Right, Henry's augmentations are not nearly as stable as your own. I've managed to connect his heart replacement to his spine in a way that his brain thinks it's his heart, so he won't have any problems with that, but the second that spine is damaged his body will begin to shut down again."

"So? No one cares if 'Enry has to be more careful. But you left, so I wouldn't expect you to understand our familial bonds."

"Do you really believe that? You have over a thousand members, what will happen if a small group, or even a single person, decides Henry is weak and unfit to lead? Do you want Henry to live past the age of thirty-five?"

"Of course!" Right forced his voice to stay steady so he didn't wake the others, despite the rage bubbling in him. The _nerve_ of this woman!

"Then _let him go._ He has a chance to get out of this life, you have to let him take it."

Right fell silent, glancing down at Reginald. "...we can't say goodbye again. Not after all of this."

"Who says you have to say goodbye?" She knelt down. "Just give him a chance to leave, if you think he'd never speak to you again you're dead wrong."

"...can we just see 'im?"

The doctor sighed. "Go ahead. He's asleep for now, but I suspect he'll be complaining if he wakes up and none of you have visited."

It took a few minutes for Right to wake Reginald up, but soon enough they stood before their sleeping son.

His left arm was completely gone, even the shoulder was missing, replaced by smooth metal. There were patches down his side for easy connecting a disconnecting, and a blue light glowed on his chest, becoming brighter with each inhale before dulling slightly upon exhale.

She'd explained his spine was exposed, since there was just no way for her to get skin over the metal without it shredding like paper if it ended up strained. Just another reason for Henry to leave the Toppat Clan, permanently this time.

 _Reginald will not like that._ Right noted, staying quiet as he sat down by Henry. Reginald squeezed his hand, giving him an exhausted smile.

Right couldn't help but smile back.

At that moment, it felt like everything was going to be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a pretty fun chapter! I really like how I wrote Dr. V and really hope I can find a way to give her a bigger role in the story. I doubt this'll be the last we see of her!  
> I wasn't sure how to end it, but I feel like I did pretty well.  
> Dr. V in CtM actually specifies that Henry was indeed dead, but she brought him back to life. I suspect he may have been alive when she found him, and died shortly before or during surgery. (Brain death typically sets in two minutes after the heart stops due to oxygen not reaching the brain, so I'll assume she has a ventilator to keep oxygen in his body while she worked.)  
> Henry's spine is actually exposed now, which is why she's urging Right to make sure Henry doesn't return to his position as leader of the Toppat Clan. One angry Toppat who thinks Henry is unfit as leader would be able to cut his life short with a simple shot to the exposed cybernetics. The cybernetic replacement for his heart is directly connected to that spine, so if the spine becomes too damaged then the "heart" will stop and his body will die.  
> We'll definitely get into some more light-hearted moments next chapter at least! I think I should give y'all an opportunity to rehydrate after all this, huh?


	7. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry, Dr. V, Ellie and Charles have a conversation while Dr. V works on Henry's spine

_Everything hurts._

That was the first thought Henry had as he started waking up. Briefly, he tried collecting his memories. He'd escaped from the Wall, they'd called the Toppats, he'd been shot and fell...

He'd _died_.

Henry shot upright, regretting it instantly as intense pain shot through his body. He doubled over with a groan, gritting his teeth.

"Hey, take it easy." Someone said. He took a few deep breaths, looking up. A blonde woman had her hand on his shoulder, peering at him through rose-colored glasses. "You were gone for a bit, you're lucky I could bring you back."

He raised his hands to start signing. He had so many questions for her, so many things that needed answered.

He froze, staring at his left hand.

It was gone, replaced by a new, metal limb. His right hand dropped to his lap as he slowly turned his left one.

A blue light on his palm, and at a simple thought, it suddenly shifted, smoothly changing into a narrow, sharp blade. _How did I-?_

"You learn so quickly!" The doctor beamed, clasping her hands together. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Dr. Vinschpinsilstien. You fell quite a distance, which was bad enough but you had the misfortune of hitting some very sharp, jagged rocks before you rolled into the water. I caught you in my fishing net." Her smile fell, and she crossed her arms. "I was _not_ happy to catch a Toppat in my net instead of my next meal, however."

Henry looked back up, his hand turning back into...well, a hand. _"Where am I?"_ He finally signed.

"On my boat, of course. Russian waters." She replied simply. "Now I want to hold you a few days to make sure you adjust alright and there are no further complications."

_"What about the Toppats?"_

"If you want to stay off my nerves, you'll do wise not to mention them too often, Suave." Dr. Vinschpinsilstien replied a bit sternly. "But they're fine. Reginald, Right and your other two friends have already been here to see you."

_"That's not my name anymore."_

She blinked. "What?"

 _"S-U-A-V-E,"_ He signed back, spelling it out. _"That's not my name, I had it changed. It's S-T-I-C-K-M-I-N now, doctor."_ His brow suddenly furrowed. _"How do you know my name, though?"_

"I was a Toppat under your father's reign." She replied, writing something down on a clipboard. "He was incompetent and an utter ass, so I left. But you were always quite the troublemaker," There was a flash of amusement on her face. "Quite memorable, in fact, I didn't need to know you personally to be able to recognize you."

Henry cringed a bit. He didn't really remember much from his father's reign, but he knew that people were often injured, killed or even captured in his raids. If Dr. Vinschpinsilstien was a doctor then, he could hardly blame her for leaving. He could easily imagine her tired of patients coming to her and dying before she even had a chance to ease their pains. _"I'm sorry. I don't remember much, but I've heard of how many people were injured and killed because of his plans. It must have been hard."_

She blinked a few times at him, then dipped her head. "There is nothing you could have done, Henry. Terrence was an idiot, nothing to be done about that. Sadly, you can't fix stupidity."

Henry laughed a bit. Even though there was clearly a lot of bitterness, at least she had some humor. 

"In any case." She shook her head. "You also have a few new...features." The doctor reached back, pressing somewhere on his new spine. Henry jumped as a pair of jet wings shot from his back. He twisted to look at them, eyes wide.

 _"Where did those come from? How did they fit in there?"_ He signed, barely stopping himself from signing too quickly to understand. _"I can fly now?"_

"Normally I wouldn't add anything too fancy for a Toppat. But with your injuries, you may not be a Toppat for much longer."

Henry blinked a few times. _"What?"_

"Resuming leading the Toppat Clan is unwise. Your prosthetics are very fragile." She replied, frowning. "Single shot to your exposed spine and you will be dead in less than an hour as your failing cybernetics result in your body shutting down. The moment someone decides you are unfit to lead..."

Henry stared at her, looking away. He knew she was right, but leaving again? It felt wrong now, everything was finally coming together. _"There's nothing else for me, though."_

"You have friends, do you not?" She tilted her head. "Charles and Ellie. And just because you are not in the Clan does not mean you must say goodbye. You think your fathers will let you go without calling at least once a month? Family never truly says goodbye."

 _"I suppose you're right."_ Henry ignored the fact that she called Right and Reginald his fathers. He supposed she wasn't wrong, they were certainly more of fathers to him than Terrence ever was.

"You don't need to retire, and if you do, you don't need to now." She looked back down to the clipboard. "But consider it."

____________________________________________

The next few days weren't easy.

There were a few issues with his new spine, mostly the issue of the skin around the implant not wanting to heal correctly, and overall being sore. At least he had visitors often, Charles and Ellie decided to stay on the boat and Right and Reginald visited at least once a day.

 _"Why are we doing this again?"_ Henry signed with a sigh. At the moment he lay on his stomach while Dr. Vinschpinsilstien tinkered with his spine. He yelped when he felt metal pinch the spin, jolting a bit.

"Stay still." She huffed. "I'm trying to smooth the edges closest to your skin so your movement won't damage the skin. I underestimated how much the spine moves. I'm also raising the spine itself so your wings don't scrape against your skin upon being unsheathed."

_"Have you ever done this on a spine before?"_

"Not at all, this was experimental even by my standards." She replied. "Part of the reason I charged on the lower end."

Henry looked up at her, brows furrowed. _"How much was it?"_

"One hundred fifty thousand."

_"Holy fuck."_

She laughed a bit. "That's not much for the Toppat Clan, and you should know that. Especially with both the Tunisian Diamond and Romanian Ruby in the vault."

 _"Excuse me the diamond is mine and remains in my room."_ Henry sighed with a huff. _"Do you know how hard stealing that thing was? I almost died."_

"Oh? So the Toppats weren't the one to steal it?" She asked, seeming genuinely curious.

 _"No, I heard Reginald was pissed when they tried to steal it and it was already gone."_ Henry laughed a bit as Dr. Vinschpinsilstien worked on unscrewing something. He glanced back, seeing her remove what he assumed was the folded version of one of his wings.

The fact that those fit in his spine would never cease to surprise him.

"I think I need to make these thinner." She muttered. "They aren't very aerodynamic and there's no way to prevent overheating."

Henry tapped the table to catch her attention before signing again. _"What about fans? You may need to sacrifice size, but a fan could be used to cool off the inside. You can also use up less fuel if you add a sort of membrane for gliding, like a bat's wing."_

She paused, looking at him. "Elaborate a bit more, if you will."

_"Well, most large bird hover by catching streams of air, right? Obviously metal feathers might not work, but if the wings were more flexible and possibly shaped like a glider. Bursts of fuel would be needed to get into the air but if they're light enough not as much would be necessary to stay in the air."_

"That's...not a bad idea. While most of the wing would still need to be metal for internal mechanisms, not as much power would be needed. Not bad, Stickmin." She jotted down a few notes before resuming her work. "...you know, should you actually choose to leave the Toppat Clan, I always have use for an assistant."

Henry jolted a bit, looking up at her. _"You hate the Toppat Clan."_

"I hate them as a whole, I never said anything about individual members. Besides, you're bright and a fast learner." She shaved down a sharp edge, careful not to hurt Henry too much. "That is, if you want the position."

 _"I'll think about it."_ He signed before folding his arms and laying his head down. It wasn't like he would have anywhere else to go, and he did enjoy the good doctor's company. She had mentioned at one point that she specialized in military-grade augmentations, maybe she could even get him a pardon if he stayed.

Of course there was the plan to leave earth but...did he really even want that? Did he really want to leave earth altogether? It felt wrong, like even with the Clan it'd be a lonely life.

_"Was it still home for me?"_

_"Of course! You were always welcome back here, Henry, you're a Toppat."_

_Am I really? It doesn't feel that way._ The Toppat Clan...it didn't feel like his place anymore. It didn't feel like home, like where he was meant to be. Sven, Right, Reginald, Thomas, Geoffery, they were still his family. But what about the others? _Am I just overthinking it? Is it because I was gone for so long? Or is my absence why it's not my home anymore?_

It was confusing, and it hurt his head to consider for too long. 

"Doctor V? Could we see Henry?" Henry opened his eyes at Charles's voice, smiling a bit.

" _Конечно_ , I don't need to much focus for this." She looked up. "I think Henry's a bit tired of signing, but he could use the company."

Charles nodded, practically skipping over and taking a seat next to Henry, Ellie following a bit slower. "I've been talking to General Galeforce."

"Mhm?"

"He said he's willing to pardon Ellie and leave you guys alone a few days if you help us take down the Wall." He said cheerfully. Henry lifted his head in interest. That was perfect! In the days they were left alone, the Toppats could finish preparations and leave!

"Kinda risky to take your eyes off them, isn't it?" Dr. Vinschpinsilstien asked suspiciously.

"At this rate our concern over the Wall and what they do is more important, especially with the fact that the Toppat Clan has been laying low, and, well, we can't actually pin them on any crimes yet. Not enough evidence." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You see, most of the people there aren't actually guilty of a crime bad enough to warrant being stuck there. I mean, there's a baguette burglar, a...toilet wizard, even someone who isn't even a criminal, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. At even the slightest hint of sickness, you're put in a small, filled quarantine cell with people a lot sicker than you are. Bodies are just-"

"Thrown into the ocean with the rest of their trash, I know." Dr. Vinschpinsilstien sighed. "You think that's the first time I caught a body in my net?"

"Problem is, no one can get in long enough to gather evidence. I was supposed to steal some of their files to prove their wrongdoings, but I got caught." He deflated a bit, then looked at Henry. "I...I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me, you'd be alright. You wouldn't have a metal spine."

Henry shook his head, pulling out his hands to sign. _"I don't blame you. I probably would have been caught anyway, besides. Dmitri shot me, you couldn't have done anything to prevent it."_

"But I-"

"Dmitri will not get away with that, Charles." Ellie spoke up, putting a hand on Charles's shoulder. "And you can make it up to Henry by helping make sure he never sees the light of day again."

Charles nodded, suddenly looking very determined.

"I say..." Ellie straightened up. "When Henry heals, we lay a trap. I can be bait, he'll want to recapture any of us. I can lead him to a cliff and we can corner him there. Then he has one of two choices: Jump, or let himself be arrested for his cruelty."

"Not a bad plan." The doctor shrugged. "Alright, Henry, try turning. See if it feels any better."

Henry sat up, stretching before twisting a bit. Unlike the last time, the metal didn't dig into his skin uncomfortably or draw any new blood. _"That feels a lot better, doctor!"_ He signed excitedly.

"I'll take a few more days to fix your wings and watch you heal, then you can go back to the Toppat Clan and figure out a plan." Dr. Vinschpinsilstien sat back. "But in case we don't have a chance to talk like this again: I wish you three the best of luck. And...be careful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think from here updates may slow down a little.  
> I'd like to jot down some headcanon designs for Henry and the crew. They'll be posted to my tumblr, and I'll be sure to link them!  
> We'll also go see Sven next chapter. I just wanted Henry to have some time with Charles and Ellie.


	8. Brothers at Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sven decides to see Henry, and learns of his possible retirement.

Sven groaned a bit as he woke up.

For a moment the Swed lay on the stiff bed of the med bay, staring at the ceiling. A dull pain spread through his back, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been the past few days. Sighing, Sven rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up. Thomas sat nearby, reading, and Sven felt a familiar relief at seeing him.

Since they were caught he'd been having nightmares. The first night he had dreamt that they hadn't been captured, but rather killed in front of him. He had screamed when he woke up, but thankfully hadn't had that one again since the two escaped while he had been unconscious. The new nightmare was that their escape was only a dream. He'd wake up in the nightmare and they'd be gone again.

"A', you're awake."

Sven glanced up, smiling as he saw Right in the doorway.

"Hey, Right. How's Henry doing?"

"You two are so predictable, 'Enry asks the same question every time 'e sees Reg and I." Right laughed a bit. "'E's adjusting. Not easy 'aving a new spine, I suppose, but he's toug'ing it out. Pretty sure the doc might be keepin' 'im 'ig' on pain killers whenever s'e's not working on 'im."

"How's Reginald handling it?" He frowned. "He's not overworking himself, is he?" Sven couldn't imagine how hard it had to be for Reginald. He loses one son and almost loses the other in one day, immediately gets the first son back and then loses him again. Sven hadn't been there, but he'd heard that Reginald had seen Henry die. Even if it was only temporary, it couldn't have been easy. Hell, it was hard for him to even hear about.

"No, 'Enry gave 'im an order to take it easy and consider 'is limits. It ain't easy on eit'er of us, but we'll manage." Right walked over, sitting down by him. "But 'ow are you doing, Sven? I know you've been 'aving nig'tmares."

"Thomas told you?" Sven rubbed his arm, shooting Thomas a glare.

"I've done nothing of the sort! Reginald checks on you occasionally." He didn't even look up from his book, licking his thumb to turn the page. "It's not my place to tell anyone if you don't want to talk about it.

"T'omas is telling the truth." Right frowned. "And Burt c'ecks the cameras when 'e gets up in t'e morning. 'E's seen you wake up screaming."

_Goddammit Burt._

"Yeah, I..." Sven sighed, looking at his feet. "...it's nothing. There's just...a lot of guilt."

"W'y?"

"If it wasn't for me getting hurt, Henry wouldn't have been captured and he wouldn't be injured. He shouldn't have stopped for me."

"Sven."

The blonde looked up at Right as he took his hand.

"W'at 'appened was _not your fault._ " He told him sternly. "I told Reginald this and I'll tell you the same t'ing, _Dmitri_ s'ot you, _Dmitri_ s'ot 'Enry, _Dmirti_ is w'y t'is all 'appened. And Dmitri is _not getting away wit' t'is_. I know w'at I'm saying won't stick at first, and I know it won't stop the guilt. It won't stop the nig'tmares or make you feel better yet. But for now I need ya to know t'at you _couldn't 'ave prevented this_. Someone would 'ave been caug't no matter w'at. Dmitri _would not_ 'ave been satisfied wit' just you. I mean, t'ere was a fuckin' _riot_ , and t'e man focused on 'Enry, C'arles, Ellie and T'omas just because t'ey started it and ruined 'is reputation."

"I know..."

"So don't blame yourself." Right sighed. "I know it ain't gonna be easy, Sven. I never said it was, but you gotta fig't off t'ose t'oug'ts t'at it was your fault, because it wasn't."

The blonde sighed, nodding. "Alright, Pa." He paused a moment, taking a breath. "Do you think I could see Hen?"

"If you can prevent Reg from bein' a mot'er 'en for an 'our or two." Right grinned. "It's no good for you to stay in the med bay all day."

Sven smiled...

"Although _you_ get to ask Dr. Vinsc'pinsilstien."

...and immediately deflated. He didn't know much about the woman, only that she was a former Toppat Clan member and she had a grudge. He knew she was a member around the time Terrence was leader, and while he only met her a handful of times(typically when he got dragged into Henry's mischief), she had always intimidated him a bit. But he understood asking her himself, he was an adult, after all.

 _Also she might be a tad bit angry if I just show up._ Sven thought with a wince. _We're lucky that she even agreed to save Henry in the first place, we should not antagonise her._

"That's fair, I suppose." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Thank you for letting me see him, Dr. Vinschpinsilstien."

"Mhm. I have a feeling it would have ended in a fight if I said no."

"Why is that?"

"Just a hunch." She muttered. "Toppats are stubborn people who don't usually take no for an answer."

"Dr. Vinschpinsilstien." Sven paused. "We are not in any kind of place to make demands of you or make you angry. We're lucky you even decided to stabilize Henry, let alone perform the surgery to save him."

"Eh, I can't complain much. He's not bad company, and he's quite bright."

"...are we talking about the same Henry Stickmin? The man climbs in vents."

Dr. Vinschpinsilstien laughed a bit. "Never outgrew that?"

"Well his first week of leader I caught him stuck in the vent above his desk. I still have no clue how he got up there or _why_."

"Eh, he's a small man. Probably just likes small spaces."

With that, she opened the door.

Sven stood silently a moment.

Henry was talking quietly with Charles, but what really caught his attention was the lack of a shirt and the fresh scars the marked his pale skin. His left side, around his shoulder area, was scarred horribly and the entire arm, shoulder included, was gone. The new arm itself was detached, laying on Henry's lap while he worked on it. There was a piece of metal with a part to connect the arm to on where the shoulder once would have been. His chest was scarred horribly as well. One long scar went down his chest, where Sven assumed his heart had been removed. A light glowed brightly on the center of his chest, fading and brightening with the rhythm of a heartbeat.

Scars also crossed his face, one going from the bottom right half of his face up near the top corner of his left eye and a couple down the left side of his face. His left eye was dull, pupil cloudy. Blind.

Sven didn't think he wanted to see his back.

Suddenly Henry looked up, noticing his adoptive brother standing there. A grin spread across his face and he set his arm aside, practically jumping up. "Sven-"

-and immediately Henry was falling forward.

The blonde just barely managed to dart forward in time to catch him. "Henry!"

"Eh, sorry, this is going to take some times to get used to." He laughed a bit as Sven shifted to prop him up. "Doc says it'll take some time before I can-"

"Before you can even stand!" She finished. "And not just time, physical therapy! You're not going to recover if you're so reckless!"

"Sorry, Doc." He replied, voice a bit quieter. Sven blinked at him, something hitting him.

_He's talking to them._

"Эти проклятые Топпаты." Dr. Vinschpinsilstien muttered, leaving. "Они собираются убить меня!"

"You're talking." Sven looked at Henry. "Since when?"

Henry glanced at Charles with a goofy grin. "What can I say? For a government pilot, he's not that bad. Ellie's pretty cool, too, and the doctor is good company when she's not annoyed."

"Hey, uh." Charles suddenly stood, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sven, right? I...I'm sorry. If I hadn't run into you guys, you wouldn't have been hurt and Henry wouldn't have gotten caught."

Sven stared blankly at him. _He...apologized? For what?_

_"If it wasn't for me getting hurt, Henry wouldn't have been captured and he wouldn't be injured. He shouldn't have stopped for me."_

_Oh._

For some reason it hadn't occurred to him that anyone else involved would be feeling some kind of guilt. How could that not occur to him? Thomas and Reginald saw him fall, Ellie was the person just before him on the ladder, Geoffery left him and Charles was the one to ask for help.

 _Do I even blame him?_ Sven loathed the government, of course. He didn't think there was a Toppat who didn't.(Except maybe Henry, but Henry was always a bit of an odd ball.) But could he really blame Charles for doing his job?

Both of them were there at the wrong time. 

"It isn't your fault." Sven avoided his eyes as he helped Henry back to the bed. "Trust me, I get it, and I get that it isn't going to be easy. But just remember that this is all Dmitri's fault. You got involved because of the way he runs the wall, right? If he weren't a goddamn dictator, you wouldn't be involved."

Charles blinked a couple times, then smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, I need to focus on taking them down!"

_Optimist, much?_

"We need to focus on taking them down." Henry corrected. "The government's agreed to get off our back for a while if we help."

"What? A-are you serious?" Sven straightened up, and Charles rubbed the back of his neck.

"I mean...we can't actually prove you've done anything illegal yet? As a group, I mean. We can try to take down your leaders, but as a whole we can't touch the Clan itself." He admitted. "It's why we sent Henry on board, to either capture Reginald or the Right Hand Man or find evidence that would let us make an arrest. But, uh, that backfired."

"It almost didn't." Sven admitted. "I wasn't there, but from what I've heard, Henry was very close to handing Reginald over. He only decided against it because leadership of the Toppat Clan was better in the long run."

Henry nodded. "...although, that might not be an option anymore."

"...what?"

"Dr. V thinks it might be best if I step down." Henry admitted. "...and I don't think she's wrong. My heart and arm, fine, I can deal with that and it won't slow me down. But my spine had to be completely replaced, along with my ribs. My spine is actually exposed, all it takes is one gunshot for the cybernetics keeping me alive to start failing. One mission gone wrong, or one rouge Toppat who gets unhappy with my leadership..."

"...and it'd be easy to take you out." Sven finished quietly. "But...if you don't come back, what will you do? Do you have anywhere to go?"

"Dr. Vinschpinsilstien offered me a job here if I want it. Look, I won't abandon you guys right now, I won't make any concrete decisions until..." Henry glanced at Charles. "Well, you know."

 _Until the rocket launches._ Sven guessed. "...I don't want to lose you again."

"...I know. I don't want to say goodbye, either. But...you guys will always be family, don't get me wrong, but I just...I don't think my place is with the Clan anymore. I...I don't think it has been for a long time."

Sven sighed, sitting on the end of the bed as Henry returned to tinkering with the arm. His heart sank a bit, but he knew Henry was right.

It wasn't safe for him to come back permanently. Henry had been a Toppat once, but he wasn't anymore and Sven knew that. He reasoned that it wasn't like they couldn't call, and they would have to come back to Earth for raids. They could see each other every once in a while.

"Y'know." Charles spoke up. "Uh, we do fund Dr. Vinschpinsilstien."

Sven looked at him, confused.

"Her research, I mean. And in exchange we get to be some of the first people to test out her cybernetics. So, uh, if Henry actually did want to work with her, we might be able to get him a pardon under the reasoning that he works with us. I mean, she...doesn't really work for or with us, but who cares about technicalities?"

"...you'd do that?"

"Of course! Henry's my friend! Also we do owe him for the whole kidnapping thing." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I, uh, don't know why the General thought that was a good idea."

"Ellie gets pardoned first." Henry reminded him.

"Sure. We have...no idea what she was in there for, actually." Charles admitted. "She was a thief, sure, but it was nothing that notable."

"It doesn't matter to Dmitri." Henry muttered. "It wouldn't surprise me if he just kidnapped her without thinking and it just so happened she had a criminal record. But it's not our place to ask unless she wants to tell us."

"I hope she's willing to open up to us." Charles added. "We'll be a real Triple Threat for the Wall!"

"...why did you say it like that?"

"Charles likes to be dramatic."

"I do not-"

"You crashed a helicopter into the airship."

"I- Okay, you got me there."

Sven smiled.

At least if Henry stayed while the Clan left, he wouldn't be left alone.

And while the grief was still there, it didn't seem as bad now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations  
> Эти проклятые Топпаты - These damn Toppats  
> Они собираются убить меня - They're going to be the death of me  
> __________________________  
> I've minorly edited previous chapters to edit Right's accent a bit.  
> Aaaaa Writer's block killed me for the second half. Mostly because I actually started a one-shot in this universe to motivate me, left the tab alone too long and completely lost it and my remaining motivation. :')  
> Oh well. I can always redo it, but I do want to get this chapter out first.  
> Update on the reference sheets as well, Henry's canon design and Charles's design sketches are done. This version of Henry's sketch is about 80% done. I'll do Ellie, Reginald and RHM's sketches then work on lineart and coloring. Thankfully Reginald, RHM and Ellie shouldn't be as hard since they either already have hair(Ellie) or I have a solid idea of what I want to do lmao.  
> NOW ABOUT THE CHAPTER  
> Dr. V has had to keep a close eye on Henry due to the experimental nature of his cybernetics, so she's a bit tired right now. Usually she'd be a tad bit more wary about letting Sven on her boat, but she can perceive that saying no might lead to a fight and she really doesn't have the energy for that right now.  
> Henry's helping as much as he can, mostly assisting with improving his own cybernetics, but he's pretty tired right now, too. Recovery's taking a lot out of him and he's high on pain meds whenever Dr. V isn't working on him.  
> ALSO VENTS. It's something Henry did as a child and never really grew out of. One reason Sven thought Dr. V was intimidating as a child is because once Henry decided to explore the vents, with Sven following trying to talk him out of it, and they fell into the med bay on top of Thomas and Geoffery who were there for eye exams. Needless to say the angry doctor made an impression lmao.  
> Even now Henry is still someone who climbs into vents when able. It's a way to escape possible danger, and as a smaller person he likes small spaces where others have a hard time getting to him.


End file.
